Dia Dhaoibh a chairde,
Beidh ár gciorcál cómhrá ar siúl arís trathnóna amárach sa leabharlann, ag a hocht a chlog. Bhí deacrachtaí ag mé féin agus Máirín téama na míosa a phiocadh. Tá gach rud chomh gruama faoi láthair ach faoi dheireadh phioc muid "Cá raibh tú?" Mar shámpla, cá raibh tú nuair a chuala tú an nuacht mar gheall ar na Twin Towers i Nua Eabhrac? Nó nuair a scaoileadh Nelson Mandela ón bpriosún? Nó nuair a síneadh an chomhdhearbhú i mBéal Feirste? Nuair a thit an balla i mBerlin?

Bígí linn!

Dear Friends,
It's that time of the month again and our ciorcál cómhrá will take place in the library, at 8pm this Thursday 20th. Máirín and I had to really think hard of theme which would not send an already depressed population over the edge. So we came up with "Cá raibh tú?" "Where were you?", as in where were you when you heard about the Twin Towers in New York? Or when Nelson Mandela was released from prison? Or when the Joint Declaration was signed in Belfast? Or when the Berlin Wall fell? Or when Diana died?
Lots of food for thought there. I must announce a blanket ban on all discussions about banks(grrr), overdrafts(grrrrrr), the r word, downturns ..............enough about my personal life!

Come and join the fun, be there or be square,

Library, 8pm, Nov. 20th
Tea and biscuits thrown in.

Polaitíocht

Nuair a phioc muid "Polaitíocht" mar téama na míosa cúpla seachtan ó shin níor shamhlaíomar go mbeadh an méid sin caint ar cúrsaí airgid, cáináisnéis, cártaí leighis, árdú cáine...............a thiarcais! Bhí muid ag ceapadh go mbeadh muid ag plé "glamour politics"- Obama, McCain,Hillary, Sarah, Michelle, Cindy, an bhratóg réaltbhreac, ta's agat féin. Ach athríonn an saol chomh tapaidh sin, tá sé deacair a choinneáil suas leis. Mar is eol do na regulars ní leanann muid an téama beag nó mór! Tosóidh muid leis an téama agus feicimid!
Bí linn ag 8-9.30pm, sa leabharlann, Déardaoin, 23ú Deireadh Fómhair.

When we chose "Politics" as our theme several weeks ago, little did we think that the country would be consumed by money issues, budgets, medical cards, tax levies......................dear me! We were thinking "glamour politics " with the imminent US presidential election- Obama, McCain, Hillary, Sarah, Michelle, Cindy, red states, blue states, star spangled banners, razzamatazz, important CNN election reports and Michelle Obama's outfits. Anything to get us through the longer autumn evenings. Issues,smissues, we wanted an escape from our reality. As our regular attendees well know, we don't follow our theme closely so let's see how it works out!
Join us in the library, 8-9.30pm,Thursday 23rd October.

Foclóir úsáideach - Useful(or useless, depending on your view)vocabulary

Cáináisnéis - Budget
Aire - Minister
Airdeadas - Finance
Uachtarán - President
Na Stáit Aontaithe - US
Toghchán - Election
Olltoghchán - General Election
Iriseoirí - Journalists
Cáin - Tax
Dáilcheantar - Constituency

Athrú Aimsire

Tá an fómhair linn anois, agus tá na laethanta ag dul i ngiorracht. Cén fáth nach dtiocfá ag an céad ciorcal cómhrá eile, agus ná bac leis an diabhal teilifís ! Níl aon rud ach droch scéal ar, ar aon nós!
Phioc mé dhá dán a bhaineann (beagáinín!) leis an tathrú aimsire. An chéad ciorcál cómhrá eile ná Deireadh Fómhair an 23ú, 8 a chlog, sa leabharlann.

Well, the autumn is certainly upon us and the evenings are drawing in. Why don't you come to our next ciorcal cómhrá and don't bother with the telly! It's nothing but bad news anyhow. Of course, in keeping with the present cash-strapped times we live in, the ciorcál cómhrá is free! This month we'll be discussing the upcoming budget, only joking................. there won't be a mention of bail-outs, bank guarantees,
interest rates, fannie mac or even poor freddie mae. Our next ciorcál comhrá is on October 23rd, 8 o'clock, in the library.
Enjoy the seasonal poems.

Reo

Maidin sheaca ghabhas amach
Is bhí seál póca romham ar sceach
Rugas air le cur im phóca
Ach sciorr sé uaim mar bhí sé reoite:
Ní héadach beo a léim óm ghlaic
Ach rud fuair bás aréir ar sceach:
Is súid ag taighde mé fé m'intinn
Go bhfuaireas macasamhail an ní seo-
Lá dar phógas bean dem mhuintir
Is í cónra reoite, sínte.

Seán Ó Ríordáin



The Wild Swans at Coole
Verse 1

The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodland paths are dry,
Under the October twilight the water
Mirrors a still sky;
Upon the brimming water among the stones
Are nine-and-fifty swans.

W.B.Yeats

Broadband, poitín, uisce is url..........

Dia dhaoibh a chairde!

Bhí seisiún cainte an-suairc againn aréir ag an ciorcal cómhra. Fáilte ar ais gach éinne! Mar is gnáth bhí cómhrá iontach suimiúil ar siúl ag an ngrúpa. Bhí sé go hálainn.

Seo a bhí le phlé ag an ciorcal- Laethanta Saoire.

Seo a phlé an ciorcal-
Broadband
Uisce
Copar
Píobaí
Poitín (agus caora- who knew?)
Bád, gleoiteog, agus púcán (see below)
Feamainn agus carraigín

Here's what we were supposed to talk about- Holidays

Here's what we actually talked about-
Broadband
Water
Copper
Pipes
Poitín(see below)
Boats, Galway hookers(see further below)
Seaweed and carraigeen moss


We had a wide- ranging and interesting conversation last night. It was lovely. I always learn something new about the Blessington area (which I enjoy very much, being a blow-in from the west) or about life in general.

Did you know that that giving poitín to a sheep(as advised by a vet) cures it of various ailments?

Or, that when you have a high level of copper in your water supply, it turns the water blue,
making bathtime a mediterranean experience as you relax in a cerulean tub?

Poínte eolais, a chairde. Dúirt mé aréir gur ghleoiteog a bhí ar an Galway Hooker ach chuaigh mé i gcomhairle le mo mháthair(bean ghleoite ó Leitirmóir) agus dar ndóigh, bhí mé mí- cheart. Tá gleoiteog níos lú ná Galway Hooker. Púcán atá ar an Galway Hooker.

On a point of information, a chairde. I said last night that the Galway hooker was called a gleoiteog, but having consulted the oracle ,(my lovely mammy from Leitirmóir), it is, in fact, called a púcán. A gleoiteog is a smaller sailboat. Now we can really impress the locals at the next rásaí na noileáin with our two nautical words!

Go raibh míle maith agat, Margaret, don cabhair a thugann tú dúinn gach mhí. Tá tú chomh díograiseach agus dea-mhéineach i gcónaí.
Thanks, Margaret, for all the help you give us every month. You are always so enthusiastic and good-humoured.
Thanks , indeed, to all the librarians who accommodate us on our Thursday evening cómhrá!

Dátaí

Dia dhaoibh a chairde,
Here are some vital dates for your annual social diary. True to our intentions to become highly organised(!) this year we have planned our monthly ciorcál cómhrá dates. Red pens and calendars to the ready, please...............

Ní bheidh aon leithscéal agaibh an bliana! Tá muid tar éis na dátaí ar fad a leagan amach. Tá súil againn go mbeidh sé seo níos éasca díobh chun pleanáil a dhéanamh. Tuigeann mé féin agus Máirín go bhfuil gach éinne faoi bhrú na laethanta seo. Tóg amach do féilire anois agus breac síos na dátaí tabhachtaigh!

Feicfidh muid níos déanaí sibh.

Na Dátaí

Mean Fomhair 25ú 25/09 /08

Deireadh Fomhair 23ú 23/10/08

Samhain 20ú 20/11/08

Nollaig 11ú 11/12/08

Eanair 15ú 15/01/09

Feabhra 12ú 12/02/09

Márta 12ú 12/03/09

Aibreán 16ú 16/04/09

Bealtaine 14ú 14/05/09

We'll keep the blog updated regularly (geallaim-I promise!) and all vocabulary used in the ciorcal cómhrá will be published here.
Beidh fáilte mór roimh cách, cairde nua agus na "regulars"!
We warmly welcome Gaeilge enthusiasts of all levels, new friends and our "regulars"!
Ar aghaidh linn, feicimid amárach sibh agus deanfaidh muid iarracht go mbeidh i bhfad níos mó Gaeilge ar súil i mBaile Coimín!

Tá muid arais! We're back!

Bhuel, táimid arais agus táimid ag súil le seisúin cainte iontach ar an 25ú, a 8 a chlog, sa leabharlann. Beidh muid ag plé laethanta saoire (the highs and the soggy lows!)

We're back and ready for action again ! On the 25th of September , we'll be in Bessington library as usual at 8 o'clock. To get the liathróid rolling we'll be chatting about holidays, the tans and the mildew!

(Ach ní mór dúinn a bheith ag gearán, nach bhfuil an aimsir ar fheabhas faoi láthair, buíochas le Dia.)
(Shouldn't complain, powerful weather at the moment!)

Sinéad agus Máirín

First anniversary celebration

Máirín and Sinéad are delighted to invite all Gaeilge enthusiasts to our first anniversary celebration of the Ciorcal Comhrá.

Téama na míosa na 'Ceiliúradh' (celebration). Bígí linn ag a hocht a chlog (8 pm) sa leabharlann (in the Blessington library) le haghaidh píosa cháca.

Cruinniú mí Feabhra

Mairín and Sinéad would like to invite all those with an interest in practising their cupla focal Gaeilge to this month's "Ciorcal Comhrá" on February 28th from 8 to 9.30 pm in the Blessington Library. Expect a friendly, relaxed atmosphere where all levels of Irish are spoken. This month's theme is "An Ghaeilge", and we'll be exploring our attitudes to and our experiences of the language in our lives. For further information, please contact Sinéad at 086-8199511 or Máirín at 087-7966064.

Ciorcal Comhrá, Eanair 31ú 2008

Sa leabharlann ag a 8 a chlog - 9.30.

Téama na míosa - athrú

Athrú dearcadh (change of outlook)

An bhfaigheann gach éinne codladh go leor, a gceapann tú?

(Do we all get enough sleep, do you think?)

An bhfuil sé éasca a bheith dearfach nuair a bhíonn tuirse ort?

(Is it easy to be positive when you are tired?)

An bhfuil an iomairce deifir orainn go leír?

(Are we all in too much of a hurry?)

An gcaitheann muid am go leor le cairde?

(Do we spend enough time with our friends?)

An ligeann muid scíth minic go leor?

(Do we spend enough time relaxing?)

An ndéanann muid léarsmaoineamh minic go leor?

(Do we spend enough time reflecting?)

An bhfuil am agat dul amach ag súil sa ndúchas?

(Do you have time to go walking outdoors?)

Go neirí libh!

Eolas/Information

Bhúnaigh Máirín Higgins agus Sinéad Ní Shé an Cíorcal Comhrá i mBaile Coimín chun deis a thabhairt do dhaoine Gaeilge a labhairt agus le buaileadh le cairde nua.

If you would like to join in, come along to one of our monthly meetings or contact one of the organisers -
Máirín: bmoll123 @ gmail.com
Sinéad: sinead.oshea @ gmail.com